I Have Done My Research And I Have Made My Choices

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I'll vote on election day. Already know who I'll vote for in most races, but some of the down ticket races and propositions will need a bit more research.

I'm voting with a prayer that Americans will consider the character and behavioral history of the people they're voting for - from the top of the ticket on down.

I agree with Ike: if you don't vote, you have no room to complain about who's running the country and what the policies are.
 

Murrmurr said:
I have a fantasy where NO ONE casts a vote for either candidate. That would be so awesome! Imagine the panic that would cause....at the top, I mean. New underwear for all of 'em.
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"Brewsters Millions".........."Vote None of the Above"
I always vote, and always in person. Primaries are an issue... We are registered unaffiliated, so If we want to vote in them, we have to pick one side or the other.
 
MarkD said:
They were never out and you haven't been bit. You'd know if you had been.

Your unsupported claim ..



doesn't establish you as a paragon of careful voting. You reject Google but don't say which search engine you prefer or why. Your intentions may be good but I won't be taking your word for that. But I'll quit this thread you started.
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Your slip is showing. Whether you take my word or not on anything is completely immaterial and not of my concern.

I owe you no explanation whatsoever. I'm posting my thoughts on this issue. You clearly take offense.

Too bad. Buck up.
 
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MarkD said:
And not voting against the greater evil can still contribute to bringing the greater evil about.
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I've always maintained that one key difference between the Westminster system and the American system is that the Americans actually vote for someone whereas we tend to vote against the incumbent and the winner fills the gap by default.
 
Rakaia said:
I've always maintained that one key difference between the Westminster system and the American system is that the Americans actually vote for someone whereas we tend to vote against the incumbent and the winner fills the gap by default.
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I'm probably not alone when I say that for the past 6-7 elections, I have voted against -- rather than for -- a candidate. The primary system is supposed to weed out the candidates who aren't going anywhere, but invariably, the winner of the "opposition" is an absolute no go for me, but my preferred candidate washed out during the primaries. That leaves me with voting against someone rather than for someone.

The parliamentary system is one that (seems to me) almost always results in the "winning" party having to form a coalition with other parties. Then they have to backslide from their stated positions on issues to maintain that coalition. We've seen that with Netanyahu and his Likud party. Not sure how often that occurs in the UK.
 
Rakaia said:
I've always maintained that one key difference between the Westminster system and the American system is that the Americans actually vote for someone whereas we tend to vote against the incumbent and the winner fills the gap by default.
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Disagree if you are talking about the Australian version of the Westminster system.
 
Eupher said:
Good for you. Vote however you choose and within the laws of your state.

There is no "mixed message." It's plain and simple. I've done my homework and I've made my choices according to my state. Nothing "mixed" about that. If something surfaces between now and then, I reserve the right to change my mind about any issue on the ballot up until the time I cast my vote.

For that reason, I've taken my sample ballot and marked it in pencil.

Just out of curiosity, what is so compelling about voting by mail? Is your polling precinct too far away? Concerns about rubbing elbows with other voters?
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Just wasn't clear on what your intended meaning was. "I have made my choices" sounds like it is a completed exercise, and the option sounded more open. That's all.

As for voting by mail, it just seems to make more sense to me than driving to a polling location, carrying a marked sample ballot, standing in line, and then transferring the choices made from one to the other. Seems like an unnecessary trip. JMO.

I suppose one could make the case that something could change in between mailing and in-person voting day,, but that same argument could be used to wait until one minute before the polls close to cast one's vote. I've been voting by mail for many years, and it's never been an issue for me, so if something is working well, why change.

As for choosing a president or representative, I am greatly influenced by character, behavior, and wisdom (Or lack of it). If I can't trust someone, or they are lacking in wisdom, I will pass. If I want cheap entertainment, I'll go watch Daffy Duck.
 
bobcat said:
Just wasn't clear on what your intended meaning was. "I have made my choices" sounds like it is a completed exercise, and the option sounded more open. That's all.

As for voting by mail, it just seems to make more sense to me than driving to a polling location, carrying a marked sample ballot, standing in line, and then transferring the choices made from one to the other. Seems like an unnecessary trip. JMO.

I suppose one could make the case that something could change in between mailing and in-person voting day,, but that same argument could be used to wait until one minute before the polls close to cast one's vote. I've been voting by mail for many years, and it's never been an issue for me, so if something is working well, why change.

As for choosing a president or representative, I am greatly influenced by character, behavior, and wisdom (Or lack of it). If I can't trust someone, or they are lacking in wisdom, I will pass. If I want cheap entertainment, I'll go watch Daffy Duck.
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The infamous "October Surprise" that seems to occur with every presidential election usually, but not always, occurs after mail-in ballots are cast. There are some specific examples I can think of, but I won't mention here.

The only time I've ever cast a mail-in ballot occurred in 2020, due ostensibly to Covid. I thought the exercise was a little over the top with the signatures here and there, a couple of pages of instructions and threats of non-compliance/invalid ballot (out of security). I don't think I've ever waited longer than a couple of minutes at the polling precinct, and the location of said precinct was only a few minutes away, 20 tops. To each his own, I guess.
 
Warrigal said:
Disagree if you are talking about the Australian version of the Westminster system.
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Really?
Keating went to the top floor of the ivory tower and he went out the door.
Little Johnny outstayed his welcome...
Kevin 07 and the revolving door crowd were on the nose, & NEXT...
Scomo was well passed his use by date, nobody really wanted Albo.
So who actually got a warm invitation to the Lodge?
 
Muskrat said:
It pays to remember we have had peanut farmers and actors. They have been remembered fondly. Voting gives us a right to an opinion. I am interested in candidates for a number of offices. And some are just new faces who i hope to get a chance.
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Thanks to their years as governors we had a good idea of what they were about.

often the local and state leaders have more impact on our daily lives than the national politicians
 
Eupher said:
The infamous "October Surprise" that seems to occur with every presidential election usually, but not always, occurs after mail-in ballots are cast. There are some specific examples I can think of, but I won't mention here.

The only time I've ever cast a mail-in ballot occurred in 2020, due ostensibly to Covid. I thought the exercise was a little over the top with the signatures here and there, a couple of pages of instructions and threats of non-compliance/invalid ballot (out of security). I don't think I've ever waited longer than a couple of minutes at the polling precinct, and the location of said precinct was only a few minutes away, 20 tops. To each his own, I guess.
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JMO, but I think surprises often happen to people who aren't paying close attention.
 
George1959 said:
I would never use absentee ballot. I always vote in person. In my country Germany there is quite a difference in the results, which indicates that vote rigging could have happened.
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When I was stationed in Germany, I always voted absentee for the simple reason I could not travel to the U.S. to cast my vote. There's a fundamental difference between voting absentee versus voting via mail-in ballot. From my perspective, voting via mail-in ballot is more a convenience for the voter than anything -- but Covid in 2020 drove a lot of mail-in balloting, and drop-box usage.
 
bobcat said:
As for voting by mail, it just seems to make more sense to me than driving to a polling location, carrying a marked sample ballot, standing in line, and then transferring the choices made from one to the other. Seems like an unnecessary trip. JMO.
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I like the process of casting my ballot in person, although I have no particular objection to voting by mail, and have done so several times.
bobcat said:
As for choosing a president or representative, I am greatly influenced by character, behavior, and wisdom (Or lack of it). If I can't trust someone, or they are lacking in wisdom, I will pass.
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Amen. I also look at the kinds of people candidates surround themselves with, and whether they have intellectual curiosity. I want the folks who represent me to be SMART. Not slick - SMART. And to have advisors who likewise are both smart and feel free to express their opinions, rather than merely being loyal sycophants.

One other point - I can't understand women who pass on voting. My great grandmother and thousands of other Americans marched to force men to give us the right to vote, which began the process of women finally having increasing measures of equality in this country. Not exercising the right to vote is a slap in the face to our feminine ancestors. And it's an especially BIG slap given what's at stake in this election.
 
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Eupher said:
When I was stationed in Germany, I always voted absentee for the simple reason I could not travel to the U.S. to cast my vote. There's a fundamental difference between voting absentee versus voting via mail-in ballot. From my perspective, voting via mail-in ballot is more a convenience for the voter than anything -- but Covid in 2020 drove a lot of mail-in balloting, and drop-box usage.
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It is obviously that I confused voting absentee with mail-in-ballot, since I didn't know both terms and had to look it up. I meant voting by mail although being in the country.
 
One comment. I may or may not vote for one of the candidates at the top of the ticket. But even if I don't vote, I expect to complain vociferously about what goes on in this country, and I have every right to do so.

Voting should be an honor and a privilege, but we need better candidates.
 
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